The use of wireless networks, to support mobile data communications, continues to grow rapidly. One trend in the implementation of cellular wireless networks is the increasing reliance on heterogeneous networks (HetNets). A heterogeneous cellular network may include traditional macrocell base stations overlaid with small cells (femtocells, picocells, wireless relays, etc.). The small cells may include, relative to the macrocells, smaller form factor and lower power radio nodes. By deploying HetNets with targeted small cell installations, network operators can offload users from macrocells to small cells. This technique may be particularly useful in areas with poor radio reception and/or dense mobile device populations.
The small cells may use the same spectrum (e.g., the same frequency band) as that used by the macrocells. One consequence of this is that radio co-channel interference between different small cells and/or between small cells and macrocells, can degrade the performance of networks. In particular, high radio frequency (RF) interference may potentially be experienced in HetNet overlapping and border coverage areas. This can lead to traffic capacity reduction and hence degraded mobile user experience that may be seen as lower throughput, increased packet loss, decreased jitter, and/or increased delay. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)/Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards attempt to deal with HetNet co-channel interference based on the coordination of communications between macrocells and small cells in the HetNet. The coordination of communications between macrocells and small cells is standardized, in Release 11 of the 3GPP Mobile Broadband Standard, as Further Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (FeICIC).